The Sofia Appellate Court upheld a previous ruling denying the request for early release of Evelin “Brendo” Banev, who is currently serving a sentence in Sofia for drug trafficking. The initial denial of the early release application was issued by the Sofia City Court on March 27, 2026. The application was submitted by the head of the Sofia Prison, where Banev is serving a 10-year sentence following convictions in Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania.
Following the submission of the request, caretaker Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov suspended the prison head, Borislav Chobanski, after it was reported that he had initiated the release proceedings. The first-instance court determined that Banev had not completed more than half of his total sentence, which is a prerequisite for considering early release. Consequently, the second condition related to good behavior could not be assessed.
Prosecutor Gergana Kyurkchiyska stated that Banev had not presented conclusive evidence demonstrating that the time served had achieved its intended corrective purpose. Banev was initially arrested in 2012 during a joint Bulgarian-Italian law enforcement operation. He subsequently received a 20-year prison sentence in Italy for his alleged involvement in an international cocaine-trafficking ring.
In July 2018, the Sofia City Prosecution Office issued a European Arrest Warrant for his location, as he could not be found at known addresses. Banev, who was subject to Interpol Red Notices since 2018, surrendered to Bulgarian authorities on June 24, 2024, and was taken to Sofia’s Central Prison. Subsequently, the Bulgarian court ruled in April 2025 that Banev would serve a total of ten years and six months in Bulgaria for crimes committed across Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy, with time already detained in Italy and Sofia deducted from the term.
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